


Cradled By The Cold

by RavenValentino



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:59:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8834857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenValentino/pseuds/RavenValentino





	1. Chapter 1

"Lament are you paying attention?" My tutor yelled at me as I lay in our families palace on my stomach reading a book about the holy power of light, one hand was supporting my head the other resting on the oily page of an old book. I had been gazing out of the window dreaming about joining the men and fighting the scourge but no I had to learn how to be a paladin like my father, I had to stand behind the city walls of Lordaeron and fight from there. I had no choice in these dreary lessons, as my parents insisted I take these long drawn out boring lessons so I could protect myself but all i wanted was a mount and sword. 

I looked up at my tutor and he was staring down at me waiting for an answer, I just rolled my eyes and my gaze fell back down to my book but my thoughts were soon interrupted as I heard horses galloping into the courtyard. I leapt up ignoring my tutor and saw my father returning but he was not in a good state, he was pale and bent over on the horse and he had two guards help him off and bring him inside the palace. I grabbed my cloak from the antler horned hook and ran out of the room, bolting down the stairs almost tripping down the steps I was almost out of breath due to the speed I was moving. 

I ran straight to my parents chambers where my father was being tended and my mother was at his side crying slightly. "Lament Menethil ....why aren't you... at your lessons?" My father stuttered but he was smirking as he knew I was easily distracted and headstrong. Jaina offered me a kind smile but she knew I didn't really like her, she was my fathers new court mate and I was scared she would attempt to break the tight bond between me and my father. I padded forward my hands resting on my belt the guards bowing to me. I looked at my father he was hiding the pain well but he couldn't hide anything from me. 

"Here" I said pushing the physician out of the way and using my learnings of holy light I rested my hands on the deep, bleeding wound, my father hissing slightly and moving in discomfort. I concentrated my energy and healed the wound but early collapsing till I fell into the chair next to my fathers bed. 

"You're still not strong enough!" Jaina exclaimed. "Honestly Arthas how did you raise such an impatient child?" She joked. 

"She takes after me" he smiled looking back at me. Jaina just smiled as she had remarked many times how a like we looked.  I had my fathers green eyes and long golden hair, his drive to fight and his headstrong traits but I had my mothers stubbornness and her face shape. 

"Lament how about you leave us and I'll join you later" he told me, he kissed  my forehead and then whispered "I love you always remember that, my only beautiful child" I smiled and left. I walked the halls and I saw my tutor waiting outside the palace doors tapping his foot impatiently. 

"Lament let's continue" he said pushing me out of the door slightly. 

"Ar do we have to?" I whined. 

"Yes" he said and marched me back to the library. The whole way I had my arms crossed and my head hung low. 

"I hate this!" I mumbled kicking the dirt with my black boots. 

"I know but just think a young girl like you can fight proudly for her father in his city" he reminded me.

I stopped by my fathers statue and began to rant at my tutor. "I don't want to fight behind these thick boring walls, I want to be out there in the wide open spaces of Azeroth fighting like an equal with the men, not some typical woman!" I was soon interrupted. 

"Enough!" He hissed. 

"No, it's true! I'm sick of being told what I'm supposed to do and who I'm supposed to be! I want nothing more than to be a warrior not a boring paladin" I finished ripping the pendant of the paladin off my neck knowing I gave a great insult to my tutor, I then stormed out of Lordaeron and began to wander the woods alone. I knew it wasn't safe but I could defend myself as I had slipped a stolen sword from the armoury into my belt. I knew these woods well, every rock and every tree I was bought up here, my father told me about the tales of the war that raged and how the alliance was crashing down. He told me how him and Varian fought bravely together and how when they were both boys they would play in these very woods, Jaina would scold my father as he told me these stories as she though they would influence me, oh just how right she was. 

I came to a river and i stopped, I knelt in the damp mud and stared at my reflection. I saw more of my father in me than my mother. Drinking in the river opposite me was a hound but not just any hound it looked like a hell hound and me being the inquisitive being I am, I crossed the river and the hell hound looked up at me. "Hello beautiful" I cooed and attempted to pet the beast but it bit into my arm deeply, I leapt back and fell into the river the beast advanced and I kept crawling back, even though my arm was being cradled and bleeding profusely. I made it to the other side, I heard a clang but not registering my blade had dropped from my belt I was too scared right now. I  stood up and ran but I was beginning to feel light headed, I suddenly forgot where I was and couldn't find my way home. I came to a cave and I ran to the back, the hell hound yelped and backed away. 

I leant agains the rock finding myself fighting to stay awake. I suddenly saw a dark shape entering the cave, they were moving slowly. It didn't register it was a guard from home. "It's her!" He yelled loudly, then two more figures joined him as they entered into the light of the torch i see my father enter into view first then Jaina. 

"Ohl Lament!" He exclaimed taking my arm gently and examining the damage, I screeched slightly as it hurt unbearably.  "Okay, I know, I know" he said smiling at me in a comforting way but I could see his concern cracking the facade. 

"You can't hide...anything...from...me" I laughed, I soon noticed my fathers smile drop as he looked at my arm in more detail. 

He whispered something to Jaina thinking I couldn't hear him. "It's hit her artery which explains the blood but also the hound has poisoned her" Jaina looked from him to me, she crouched next to my father and took my head in her hands. 

"Lament listen we need you to stay awake, okay can you handle that?" She asked. I nodded but found my head falling from her grip. My father slipped his arms under my weak body and carried me home, the whole time fighting my consciousness but found myself slipping in and out of it. "Lament!" He would yell every now and then and shake me gently, we got back to the palace and the physicians tried their best. My father never left my side he stayed with me day and night as they worked he would tell me about his adventures with Varian and how he met Jaina, I knew he was trying to keep me awake and alert but it was hard, everyday I was getting worse they told my father the poison was slowly killing me of course this broke him I was his only daughter. 

That unfortunate day it was raining, I saw one final flash of lightning forgetting my fear of a thunderstorm, my father ran in as he was told to leave me so he could rest but the thunderstorm must've interrupted him as he came rushing to me, he knew I didn't like thunderstorms and he wanted to comfort me through it like the old days but before he reached the bed, I passed out! I didn't even hear him call my name that one final time or hear his laugh or even see that smile, the smile that makes him brave as he hides his hurt behind it. He thinks I can't tell that he has been crying but his eyes are red and his cheeks are stained. We are closer than he realises and we have a tight bond that is unbreakable, not even Jaina Proudmore could break it but she is all he has with out me.


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up not in my chambers but I'm outside in the cold, the wind whipping around me I can see my breath and I have to wrap my arms around my torso. 'What was happening?' I asked myself. I didn't know where I was or how I got here. I thought I had slipped in to a coma and exited this world. I called for my parents but no answer only my voice echoing around the snow covered mountains and coming back to me.

The only weapon I had was the gold hammer my father made for me, I took a deep breath in and began to wander the wide open freezing plain. I tried to remember everything my tutor had taught me but the teachings seemed to escape my mind, just as I climbed over the mountain side I saw four white unicorns galloping around the ice I watched intently as I was surprised that none of them had slipped over yet. This placed looked familiar, I had been here before. 

I think my father had bought me here on one of his adventures. I panicked a little as I heard a sound behind me. I spun around as a skeletal dragon with a blue glow around its body loomed above me. I  attempted to get up but the creature pinned me to the ground, it's claw resting heavily on my body. "Get off" I screamed attempting to push its claws off me, the dragon was beginning to draw blood from my body I screamed but still no one came and the dragon then disappeared. I heard hooves coming closer to me I reached  for my hammer but a velvet nose nuzzled against my hand pushing it away from the weapon.  

"Leave me" I commanded but the Unicorn collapsed behind me in the snow, it was only now that I realised how cold i was as I was shivering, the Unicorn keeping my body warm with its heat. It rested its horn on the wounds from the dragon and it healed it, the beast looked from me and then at its back. I gripped its mane and then hauled myself on to its back, we rode through the ice infested land and a blizzard soon whipped up and I wrapped my arms around my torso.  I tried to see if I could spot another being but I couldn't, the panic began to set in once again. 

The unicorns hoof falls were smothered by the sound of crunching snow, we had no destination in particular we just kept riding till the sun set and we stopped over for the night. The ice glittered and glowed blue against the Ivory powder which surrounded it. I woke up missing my father and mother I wanted nothing more than to go home to Lordaeron.  I heard heavy armour coming towards me, I saw soldiers in ebony but with sapphire eyes. They surrounded me and two forced me to my knees, their armour burning me. 

 

I saw another knight coming towards me, his armour covered in skulls, long white hair under a helmet which served as a crown, his eyes blue. "We shall meet soon" he said in a deep voice resting a hand on my torso, blue glowing against it. I soon dropped and the darkness consumed me. 

I wake up on a bed, not knowing where I was now but I was no longer out in the cold. Once my eyes adjusted to the light I saw I was in ruins of what my home used to be. "Father, Jaina!" I yelled. My voice just echoed around the empty which once was a palace, I sat up and rested my hand on my head as I was feeling dizzy, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and instead of standing I just collapsed onto the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up and I was still alone. I pushed my hair out of my eyes as I stood. I reached for my blade that had fallen from my scabbard. I wandered the ruins lonely and scared, the place looked destroyed, the moat that was once blue had turned luminous green, there were bats flying around and little creatures, I saw big creatures with their stomachs gaping open, if I remembered correctly they were Abominations. I kept walking but my boot steps were very loud and it caught the attention of these creatures. 

One snapped its head towards me, I panicked and began to run as fast as my boots would carry me, the upside was these things were slow. I ran out of the gates and onto the path, it was dark and dingy I didn't know where to go I was homeless and familyless I wanted my father more than ever, I decided to search for him I wandered many towns asking after Arthas Menethil but I didn't get any answer the people only shook their heads and closed their doors to me, there was something fearful about them. 

I took a Friesian steed from the towns stable and I galloped through the forests of Azeroth. I found myself stumbling up on Elwynn Forest, I knew Stormwind was close and that's where I headed, but I also knew Varian could help me but as I entered the guards surrounded me, their swords pointed at me. I was torn from my horse and thrown to the floor, I landed on my knees and I began to cry, I was frightened and I began to hyperventilate so I passed out. I wake up but not in a dungeon but in a room decorated with finery, I found my golden mane to be braided back and I was no longer in my armour but a dress. 

I sat up with a hand pressed to my forehead. "Lament?" I heard a familiar voice call. 

"J...Jaina..." I stuttered. She walked out of the shadows, her teary eyes meeting mine. 

"It really hurts to look at you." She said dropping her eyes to the ground. She sat. On the edge of the bed and took my hands in hers still looking away from me, I tried pulling away but she only gripped my hands tighter. "I know you don't like me but you and I are all we have." She told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. 

"A....Arthas, you're father was consumed with Frost Mourne trying to save his city, but it turned him evil. He now resides in Icecrown, we need to free him." She told me. 

"I'll go, he may recognise me." I told her. 

"No, it's too dangerous." She replied. I got up regardless, walked behind my changing blinds and saw my armour placed there so I got changed into it. I pulled my braid put and shook my mane free. "Lament, please don't be so stupid the curse is strong, he will kill you." She warned me. 

"It's my father he won't." I replied confidently, even though I was nervous inside.


	4. Chapter 4

That eve I sat in the Armoury sharpening my blade the stone causing sparks to fly off it, how I thought about my father. 'No he couldn't be evil, he was so kind.' I told myself. I knew I was in denial and pushing the pain down deep. We were headed to Icecrown as I was told that was my fathers citadel. That eve we saddled up and rode to the great citadel we rode hard for a couple of days, not stopping, till having to leave the steeds with the gryphon master.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" One of the guards asked me.

"I've come this far." I answered nervously.

So we all mounted gryphons and we were flown to the Argent Dawn tournament area before walking to Icecrown. We kept ourselves as low as we could, the wind whistled around the mountains the snow fell heavily making it hard for us to see into the distance, we were clad in furs but that still didn't stop the cold, we had to fight a few monsters and I lost a few men.

I was getting nervous the closer we stepped toward the citadel. We could see it was very well guarded, we reached the gates and once again we were attacked, our blades slashing into the undead creatures, one kicked my legs out from under me, another slaughtered my men till it was just me. I was suddenly pushed over the edge, I screamed as I fell, I hit the frozen lake with a thud, it cracked beneath me, my head hurt I saw crimson pitter pattering on the ice.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed. I began to push myself off the ice, I cried out realising my leg was broken. I was surrounded by knights clad in black armour with blue glowing around them. I didn't shiver, I didn't back down, I held my blade tightly in hand. Two of the Knights approached me, one being a Sin' Dorei, the other held the unmistakable Frostmorune blade. "Lower your weapons warrior, you shall not win!" He told me, his voice somewhat familiar and echoed around the mountains.

It sent a shiver down my spine, it was only now that I realised that the wind had got up and tangled my mane. I suddenly felt warm breath on the back of my neck . I turned around slowly, two Taurens stood behind me. "Take her into the citadel, she looks like a fit candidate to become a soldier!" The one with the blade exclaimed.

"No!" I yelled fighting against the Taurens grips.

"Wait." The Sin' Dorei ordered. They paused and before I knew what was happening I was knocked over the head with the hilt of his blade. I fell limply into the arms of the Taurens, my vision going in and out of focus, my hearing muffled till finally I passed out. Next time I wake up I am chained down to a wooden table, limbs hang above me, the whole room is red, blood drips down the wall.

"What's going on?" I asked with a slightly dazed tone.

"None of your concern, all you need to know is you will be reborn!" A Forsaken told me, resting their boney hand on my arm.


	5. Chapter 5

"Would you like to do the honours?" She asked looking at the man dressed in black.

"With pleasure." He answered, that was my fathers voice.

"Please no, father it's me!" I began.

"Shut up!" He exclaimed running his Frostmourne blade across my throat and then plunged it into my chest, I began to cough and choke on my blood, writhing and pulling against the restraints but to no avail. My head fell against the platform I was laying on, my blood escaped and dribbled onto the floor pitter pattering on it. My gaze fell on the white haired man watching reminding me of my father.

"You're weak, I can see why Arthas gave himself up." He said smiling sinisterly at me, the last thing I saw was his eyes flash green and I died. I wake up to pain as I feel my emotions and feelings torn from my body, I fought for them I wouldn't give them up so easil. "She is too strong!" The forsaken exclaimed.

"Keep her under your control." A death knight called loudly walking towards us dressed in dark armour.

"Yes lord Mograine." She said bowing her head. Another Death Knight was called over to hold me down, the power began to drain away what I once was but I could feel myself becoming an empty shell. It soon stopped I looked around at the place I was in how I viewed it differently, to me this was home. The restraints were unbuckled and I sat up, my hand went straight to my throat nothing but a scar.

The man still stood next to me. "Welcome to the Ebon Hold soldier!" He exclaimed. I looked at him, he seemed familiar but I couldn't put my finger on why. "Go and join your brothers and sisters." He told me. I nodded and move with ease but found I was cold, I passed a reflective surface and saw my hair was ivory and my eyes blue and glowing. I came to a great hall with skulls in the ceiling burning with blue flames. There were many different races gathered in the hall, all in the same condition. We were handed our armour it was heavy and the helm had tusks on it.

I soon got changed and we were addressed, all of us kneeling before our leader. "Now that I have raised my forces and you are all strong our next battle will be at Silvermoon, you are instructed to slaughter the weak and bring back only the strong!"'he exclaimed. After we all rode out on Archerus Deathchargers and undead Griffins we looked like a swarm of ants. It was a long ride but none of us tired we kept pressing on, we were ready and all willing to spill blood. I noticed I didn't even feel the hot sun as we travelled or the freezing cold of the night.

None of us said a word to one another, we were too focused to be distracted now, there in the distance were the gates of Silvermoon, the proud city of the Sin'Dorei.


End file.
